Pelosi Dear Colleague on Fighting for Better Jobs, Better Health Care and Better Futures for All
July 6, 2018
Dear Democratic Colleague,
The Fourth of July, celebrating the birthday of America's independence, is a deeply inspiring holiday. God truly blessed America with the courage of our Founders to declare and fight for independence, the idealism to state that all men are created equal and the wisdom to make our Constitution amendable to expand and ensure that freedom for all.
They gave us their clear guidance "E Pluribus Unum": from many, one. They couldn't possibly have known how many we would become or how different we would be from each other, but they knew we had to be one.
On July 4, we renew our commitment to answer the Founders' call to advance life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the American people. Our Founders were about the future, and we must be as well. Recognizing that our future is rooted in our history, our call for a massive infrastructure plan echoes President Thomas Jefferson's plan to build the infrastructure of America into the Lewis and Clark Expedition and Louisiana Purchase. One hundred years later, President Teddy Roosevelt honored that scale of commitment by establishing the National Park Service. Today, we must insist that the Republicans honor the bipartisan commitment to a massive infrastructure initiative to rebuild America. And today, we must stop Republicans from selling off our sacred and native public lands, parks and monuments. Thanks to relentless pressure from many of you and our grassroots allies, Scott Pruitt is finally gone but the danger to our clean air, clean water, and climate lingers on.
America has advocated for liberty, justice, and equality for all. Leaders who have gone before us have honored that declaration with bipartisan recognition of the value of newcomers to our country. In the final days of his Presidency, Ronald Reagan addressed the nation. He said, "And since this is the last speech that I will give as President, I think it's fitting to leave one final thought, an observation about a country which I love… The torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our grandparents, and our ancestors. It is that lady who gives us our great and special place in the world. For it's the great life force of each generation of new Americans that guarantees that America's triumph shall continue unsurpassed into the next century and beyond."
Every President, Democratic and Republican, has shared that thought – until now. Today, we are faced with the indecency and immorality of an Administration separating children from their parents. Ten days after a federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to reunite children, we have seen no evidence that a comprehensive plan to do so has been developed. This outrageous neglect of children is a staggering challenge to the conscience of our country, and one that Democrats will continue to hold Republicans accountable for.
To promote our Founders' vision of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, we must also continue to fight for better jobs, better health care and better futures for all. I am proud of the unity of our caucus to vote 100 percent against the unfair GOP tax scam, 100 percent against the immoral farm bill departing from decades of bipartisanship and 100 percent against the cruel Republican efforts to sabotage America's health care. It is clear that families' health care and economic security, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, will never be safe with Republicans in control of Washington.
I commend the leadership of Ben Ray Luján and the great work of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Co-Chairs Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, Congressman David Cicilline, and Congressman Hakeem Jeffries to deliver A Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Futures, for the American people. In the weeks ahead, working with Members, they will be distilling and presenting our Democratic message, contrasting our positive agenda for the future with the Republican raw deal for America.
Now is the time to present our case to the American people. As we develop our closing argument to America, I urge each of you to contribute your insights. To paraphrase Patrick Henry, one of our Founders, now is the time for all good men – and women – to come to the aid of our country and party.
As always, I am proud of the unanimous votes of Democrats on critical issues on the Floor of the House. On a personal note, it is my honor to serve with each of you, and I am grateful for the overwhelming support I continue to receive. Thank you all for your leadership as we move forward to create a better future for all.
sincerely,